PI releases New Low-Cost Motion-Amplified Piezo Actuator

Piezo motion market leader Physik Instrumente (PI) has added a new member to its list of flexure-guided, piezo actuators featuring integrated motion amplifiers. The new compact P-604 model was designed with emphasis on cost, size and travel range.

Applications of the New Piezo Flexure Actuator
Providing a large displacement of 300µm in a very small package of only 20x13x4mm, the actuator was optimized for OEM instrumentation applications in fields such as precision-optics, life-sciences, medical design, bio/nano-technology and microfluidics / nano dispensers.

How Piezo Actuators Work
At the heart of the motion-amplifying flexure design is a multilayer piezo stack actuator, of the same proprietary construction as the ones used on the Mars Rover for their extreme reliability and lifetime of 100 billion cycles.

Piezo flexure actuators are not subject to wear and tear of conventional motorized actuators and require neither lubricants nor maintenance. They directly convert electrical energy into mechanical motion and provide energy-efficient, fast response and virtually unlimited positional resolution. When at rest, virtually no energy is required to hold a position even under load.

Custom Designs
PI has a long history of working with instrumentation manufacturers and can easily modify the P-604 actuator design as well as other off-the-shelf piezo products or completely customize piezo devices to fit the exact requirements of the application.

About PI
Well-known for their high standard of quality, the PI group is a leading player in the global market of precision positioning technology. The strategy of vertical integration has allowed PI to control all critical components of its positioning systems and provide outstanding standard and OEM products for many decades. PI is present worldwide with 10 subsidiaries, R&D and engineering on 3 continents and total staff of 700+.